Warrior's Bond
by dexterousduo
Summary: Mostly canon Will/Horace story that starts during the events of The Battle for Skandia. Will be covering nearly the entire timeline so SPOILERS! M-rated to be safe. -00RNBW I dont own RA.
1. Much Needed Intervention

**Hey guys its 00RNBW here! I finally got around to posting something. This was actually a prompt given to me by 'Halter.' I was a little against the idea of doing a Rangers Apprentice story-I read this series before I discovered fanfiction (10 years old was a simpler time) so its kinda part of childhood memories, but the idea was too good to pass up. So while my main focus will be on this story for a while, I AM OPEN TO REQUESTS. Mostly because I can't decide a thing on my own. Only rules are that I have to both know and be ok with the pairing. (On that note, homestuck is not my thing. Haven't even read it. You want that talk to Halter.)I am open to criticism so long as it's not along the lines of "This is gay." Mostly because yes, I am pretty sure it's gay. Hope you enjoy!**

_The thaw._ Will thought bitterly. _Damn the thaw._ It had ruined everything. If it hadn't been for that insistent_ tap tap tap_ he and Evanlyn could be resting back at the cabin, maybe enjoying the warmth of a small fire in the fireplace place. Instead, here he was, tied to a wooden pole as he stared at a camp of men he did not know. And they were NOT Skandians. Of that he was sure; they were far too short, and no Skandian could have caught him. He had insisted he would check the snare line-that he needed to do some kind of exercise, that he had to get out of that little cabin. He had led them on a chase, as far away from the cabin and Evanlyn as he had managed. He hadn't gotten far, and all his efforts had earned him was a throbbing bruise on the side of his head. _At least I don't have a concussion _he thought. It was important to stay positive.

He had one other, albeit faint, hope. It was better him in this situation than Evanlyn. The poor girl had been through enough already, and hadn't asked for any of it. He, on the other hand, had been trained for it. He didn't trust this hope however. His captors hadn't been careful about concealing their trail-anyone could follow it. Evanlyn could. And Will knew that if she found it, she would. And what could she do against these men? _No, that's not fair, _Will thought. She was intelligence and resourceful, but it wouldn't matter. There was nothing either of them could do against these men. THAT Will was sure of. They were professionals. He was jolted out of his thoughts by a shout coming from the main part of the camp. Mentally berating himself for letting his focus slip, he re-focused on the shouting men, to attempt to learn more about his situation.

It quickly became clear that his life was on the line of their argument. Both were angry, shouting, and gesturing to him with every other sentence. His initial capturer was standing, arms crossed, as another, furious man-likely the commander of this unit-yelled, red faced at him. Will watched fearfully, and knew his life was over the moment the commander drew back his arm and slapped the younger man across the face. A deathly silence fell over the camp. The commander pointed at Will. The young man glared, but nodded. Will stifled a sob. The man walked over, drawing his sword, as casually as if he were going out to take a stroll. Will knew he meant nothing to this man. The sword came up. Will closed his eyes. And an all-too familiar cry echoed across the clearing. Will and his executioner froze._ No._ Will thought. _No no no_… a rock bounced off his executioner's helmet. _Oh Evanlyn…_

He heard shouting. Will opened his eyes to see two men rushing toward Evanlyn. Then he heard the distinctive _hiss-thrum-smack_ of a longbow. One after another, the men going for Evanlyn dropped as a black shafted arrow suddenly appeared in their chests. "Halt?" Will cried, confused, wondering if he was dreaming. His would-be executioner growled, and turned back toward him, sword flicking out to kill his captive. Will, not completely devoid of his senses, ducked the swipe meant for his life. He felt the blade bite into the wood right where his head had been-and where his hands were bound. Will moved as quickly as his weakened body allowed. He rolled back, out of the way of the next swipe, and felt his right leg give out under him, paining shooting through him. Oh_ yeah._ Will thought _they did do that, didn't they_? It was academic. If a prisoner has already proven their ability to run and hide, you take away their ability to do either. There was no avoiding the third stroke. He closed his eyes again. And, by closing his eyes, he missed the tall young man interceding himself between Will and his attacker. When, instead of death, Will heard the scrape of steel on steel, he opened his eyes, confused. He barely recognized the man in front him, who seemed furious as he blocked and swung at the completely overwhelmed man in front of him. The fight barely lasted a minute a minute before the smaller man crumpled against the flat of Will's defender's blade. Will gaped at the exchange, barely noticing the survivors of the camp fleeing on horses. "…Horace?"

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	2. Rescue

"We could've taken him alive." Halt grumbled unconvincingly as Horace helped the still-speechless Will to his feet, slinging one of his arms over his shoulder and helping him walk. "How bad is it?" Horace asked, concerned, ignoring Halt. Will looked at him a little blankly, unsure if which injury he meant. "Your leg" Horace explained. "Oh. Well it's not broken. I don't know how bad it is…and when the hell did you get so tall?" Horace laughed, relieved that Will was still himself. "I can take a look at it when we get back to camp." Halt said, not bothering to remain grim. It was hard to look intimidating when you were comforting a sobbing girl anyway. "We shouldn't stay here." Horace nodded in agreement. Halt focused on Will, locking eyes with him. "Are you alright?" Will started to nod, but then stopped, and instead shook his head. "No…but I will be. Thanks for coming Halt." Halt just nodded, turning his attention back to Evanlyn. Will looked sidelong at Horace. "You too." "Hmm?" Horace said distractedly. "Thanks. For saving me." "Oh. It was nothing. We're friends, remember?" So he said, but Will didn't miss the slight redness that had coated his face at Will's words. "Yeah." Will replied, holding back a laugh.

The trek back to camp was painful for Will, but it was more than outmatch by the lightening of his heart. Possibly the worst part of the whole ordeal was the idea and then the reality that Evanlyn would get herself killed in some desperate attempt to rescue him. But there she was, walking along with the 5 of them-Will, still being supported by Horace, Halt, and their prisoner. Apparently, after seeing that Horace wasn't going to be taking his attacker alive, Halt had sent an arrow into the leg of one the fleeing men. "We want a prisoner." Was all the reason he gave them. The man was painfully bound to ensure no resistance, and while his leg was a poorly bandaged mess, he, unlike Will, was offered no support. Will was lucky Horace was supporting him when they got back to the little camp, as Tug would certainly have knocked him down otherwise. The little horse had practically charged the pair, head butting Will in the chest and whinnying almost nonstop. It took several minutes to calm the horse, during which Horace standing awkwardly nearby in case Will needed anymore help, Evanlyn got a fire going and Halt found someplace to secure their prisoner. After he was secured and the fire going, Halt promptly dismissed the prisoner and called Will over to examine his leg.

"Hmm…" Halt muttered. "Looks like they just kicked you. I suppose you tried to get away?" He looked up at his apprentice, eyebrow raised in question. Will nodded glumly. "I didn't hear them coming up on me until it was too late. I tried to get away but…" Will hung his head in shame. "You did fine." Halt said softly. He frowned as for the first time he noticed the lump on Will's forehead. As he moved to examine it, Will looked over to where Horace and Evanlyn were talking. He watched as Evanlyn hugged Horace. The other boy seemed nonplussed, awkwardly patting her on the back and glowering at Will, who was holding back laughter. "Ouch!" Will cried and looked over at an annoyed Halt. "I asked you where you got this." The ranger growled. Will blushed slightly at his lapse in concentration and proceeded to answer his teacher. "Sorry, Halt. They just knocked me out when they caught me is all." "With the hilt of a blade." The ranger growled quietly, looking over at their prisoner. Tug, who was standing right behind Will, nickered softly.

They all gathered around the invitingly warm campfire. It might be the thaw, but it was still Skandia, and it was always cold in Skandia. Will and Horace shared a log, with Halt and Evanlyn on either side. They spent the next couple hours catching up on each others lives for the past few months, Will discussing their voyage across the Stormwhite and their time on Skorhil, Evanlyn talking about their enslavement and Will's subsequent warmweed addiction, the boy sitting in an uncomfortable silence the whole time. Halt looked over at him. "I'm sorry you had to go through that." He said quietly. Will looked down, unwilling to meet Halt's eyes. He felt a hand on his arm. "Don't blame yourself." Horace said firmly. "I wasn't-" "You were." His old friend said firmly. "And you're wrong." Will didn't answer, but he felt a little warmth in him that had nothing to do with the fire. Evanlyn, watching, decided to not let Will dwell on things. "So what about you two?" Skipping over his banishment Halt laid out the events that had taken place since Will and Evanlyns capture. Both of them looked awed when Halt described Horace's fight with Morgarath, and then his adventures as the Oak leaf knight. "I believe it." Evanlyn said. "The way you took that swordsman…" Horace blushed, but Will cut him off before he could protest. "I do too. The way you took down that man attacking me was amazing." Horace's blush deepened. Halt was tempted to let the scene play on, but he knew there were more important things to discuss. "Speaking of…"

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	3. Speaking Of

**There's no better time for writing fanfiction than when its long after you should be asleep. Enjoy!**

Horace watched the two of them, Ranger and apprentice pace, conversing quietly as they tried to figure out what to do. "It looks like Halt has a shadow." A voice said from behind him. He looked over his shoulder to see Evanlyn giving him a knowing smile. He raised an eyebrow in question but she dismissed him. "If you're done staring-" "I wasn't-!" "You can help me set up the tents. We're spending the night here." Grumbling under his breath, Horace got up and followed the girl. She laid out the tent rolls for them to set up. Horace frowned. "There are only 3." "Oh?" Evanlyn said, giving an innocent, curious look around the campsite. "I suppose you and Will are going to have to share." Horace hated the blush that came to his cheeks as he protested. "Why do _we_ have to share?" She gave him a piercing look. "Well neither of you are sharing with ME, and I don't think Halt will want to share his tent, will he?" Horace slumped, defeated. "Don't worry," Evanlyn said in an unconvincing tone of sympathy. "We'll probably be keeping watch now anyway; you won't have to suffer for long." Horace glowered at her. She frowned. "Halt has clearly been a bad influence on you." Before he could reply, Will's voice reached them from across the clearing. "Food's ready!" Evanlyn was gone before Horace even registered what had been said.

It quickly became clear to Halt and Horace how poorly the two escapees had been eating. They were on their second helpings before even Horace had finished his first. Halt, watching the three, spoke up. "What happened to your appetite Horace?" They looked at him, confused. "What do you mean?" Will asked. Halt waved a hand at Horace. "He hasn't even had a third helping." The others looked at the now-red Horace, only now realizing this fact. Will, remembering Horace's usual appetite, frowned. "Why aren't you eating more Horace? Do you not like it?" "No!" Horace hurriedly assured their chef. Halt snorted. "I don't think there's any kind of food he doesn't like." Horace glared at him. "Horace," Evanlyn said in a placating tone "there's plenty of stew. You don't have to worry about us. Halt hid a smile as Horace, caught, mumbled an indistinct protest that the other two stubbornly dispelled. _Smart girl_ he thought approvingly. For a half-starved princess, she had excellent observational skills, and was already showing some predisposition for diplomacy. He watched as, defeated, Horace reached for the stew. He could almost see the metal shrug as Horace took a rather large helping of stew. Evanlyn turned away to hide her smile as Will raised a critical eyebrow at his friend. Horace wisely chose to pretend he hadn't seen.

Halt once again was tempted to let them continue, but it was important to go over what he and Will had discussed. He cleared his throat, and instantly had the attention of his three companions_. I don't think I'll ever tire of that_ Halt mused, keeping them waiting. "Halt?" Will said, uncertainly. "We need to discuss what we're going to do about these Temujai." "We're…going to do something?" Evanlyn said tentatively. Horace nodded his agreement, frowning. "I thought the plan was just to get in and get out. Why are the Temujai changing things?" Halt shook his head thoughtfully. "If it were anyone else I might agree with you Horace. But the Temujai…" Will, Horace and Evanlyn listened intently, somewhat awed by Halt's explanation of the Temujai. "But…" Horace said as Halt finished. "I don't see why that means we have to do anything." "It really depends on why the Temujai are here." Halt stated. "If it's a simple reconnaissance team we won't need to worry, but if they're here in force we need to know, and more importantly, we need to know why." "Why is it more important to know why?" Evanlyn said, confused. "Because" Will answered, "just because they're in Skandia doesn't mean they're allies to us. We need to know if they have bigger plans beyond Skandia." "Its likely they see Skandia as a launching point." Halt added. "If the Temujai are planning conquest, Skandians aren't the kind of people you let stay behind you." The others nodded their understanding, but sensed Halt had something more to say. "The crux of the matter is just where they're planning to launch to." He finished grimly.

"Horace and I will handle the watch for tonight. You two need rest." Halt said firmly to the two escapees. Too tired to offer more than token protest, the two simply nodded. "I'll take first watch." Halt said. Will looked around the clearing and frowned. "Theres only…3 tents?" He said, confused, Horace groaned quietly. "Yes, which means you and Horace will just have to share." Evanlyn said sweetly. Halt raised an eyebrow at her, and Will's shoulders slumped. "Again?" he said complaintively. Both Halt and Evanlyn stared at the two of them, but neither elaborated. Will, too tired to fight it, simply gave a defeated shrug and headed off for the tent. After a moment's hesitation, Horace followed, helping Will with his still-injured leg. Tug nickered and butted Will as they passed. Halt turned a piercing gaze on Evanlyn. "I distinctly remember bringing 4 tents." "Did you?" She said, looking innocent. Then, without saying anything more, she headed off to her tent. Halt looked over to where Horace was taking a bedroll from Will's tired hands and wondered to himself "Again?"

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	4. Again?

**SO this is the first chapter with a flashback-Like I said in the description, I will be covering the entire RA timeline, but since the story starts in book 4 I will be using flashbacks to cover stuff from the first 3 books. Any and all reviews are much appreciated!**

"Erak?" Will said, sounding surprised. Evanlyn stiffened. _Erak? What's he doing here?_ She wondered, worried. He looked closely at her, and she saw the recognition his eyes. She drew breath to say something, but stopped when he made a small, negative gesture. _So he's still on our side?_ She wondered, and then realized she had let her attention wonder as she registered Erak speaking angrily to Halt. "…more of you handiwork up at the pass." "My work?" Halt said, sounding confused. "We saw the men. Arrow wounds!" Erak said angrily, gesturing toward Halt's quiver. "Although what those two have to do with it is beyond me." Erak added, gesturing toward Will and Evanlyn. They shared a look, Horace frowning at being left out. "Wasn't me." Halt said as he gestured toward the bound Temujai prisoner. Evanlyn, Will, and Horace all sat in silence as Halt explained their position, and eventually struck a deal with Erak. Evanlyn didn't miss Halt's careful negotiation of a vow of safety for herself and Will, and didn't know if she liked the manipulation. Halt was putting Erak into a bad position if her identity ever got out. She dismissed the thought, however. There was nothing about her to indicate she was a princess, and she seriously doubted anyone had any intention of telling on her. Also, she had to admit to herself that the idea of having Erak's protection was an appealing one. She knew that after he had sworn the vow, Erak would stand in between her and the OberJarl without hesitation. She looked up in time to catch the Halt saying "I rather thought I might let him escape."

"So" Horace said, in a wondering tone of voice as they looked in the direction Erak and Halt had gone, "what do you think they'll find." "Arrows" Will said grimly "If Erak moves with the kind of stealth I think he will." A nearby Skandian barked out a laugh before moving away. Evanlyn rolled her eyes. "I'm sure they'll be fine. Halt won't get killed by the Temujai." "If it were Halt we were worried about, I'd find that reassuring" Will said. "But considering the one most likely to be caught is the only thing between the two of us and an axe…" It was Horace's turn to roll his eyes. "Right, because the first me and Halt'll do when we get to Hallashom is take a nap and leave you two to fend for yourself." The two of them stared at him. "What?" he said, confused. "I think Halt has been an entirely negative influence on you." Evanlyn informed him. "I miss the times you were too scared even sound sarcastic." Will stated longingly. Horace arched an eyebrow. "And when was that?" "On the way to Celtica." Horace opened his mouth to protest, and then closed it again. He had been overawed by Gilan at first, and had been terrified to say anything that might offend the ranger. Evanlyn frowed. "Oh," Will said, sounding nervous, "I didn't mean to bring up Celtica." He said hurriedly, apparently attempting to reassure her. She waved a hand at him. "No, no its not that." She said, still frowning. Horace looked at her in concern. "Then whats the matter?" "…is that the first time you two shared a tent? On the way to Celtica?" Both boys instantly went red and she knew her guess had been correct. Both boys looked around, anywhere but at her or each other. She raised a hand to cover her grin._They're so transparent_. She thought. Continuing in her same, thoughtful tone, she said "Were there not enough tents that time either? Or did you want t-" "No!" Will hurriedly assured her, still very red. "No it was..." he sighed, apparently resigning himself to having to explain. Horace still refused to look at either of them. "It was the third day of our trip…"

_"Come on Horace, you can do better than that!" Gilan called encouragingly, as he parried a ragged side cut from the exhausted boy. Will, under the pretense of sharpening his Saxe knife, watched the exchange with interest. Gilan had assured and reassured him that Horace was actually quite good, especially for his age, but from watching the one-sided exchange it didn't look that way. Gilan had apparently forgotten to call their last break, and Horace looked like he'd soon be drowning in his own sweat form his exertions. Gilan, on the other hand, didn't even look like he was sweating. If he believed Gilan about Horace's swordsmanship skills, than Gilan must be a master. Famous trainer or no famous trainer, Will couldn't understand where Gilan had found the time, among ranger training, to master this art. "Alright," Gilan said, sidestepping a clumsy thrust from Horace and raising his foot to trip the exhausted young man, "I think that's enough for tonight." Horace sprawled on the dirt, utterly defeated. "Will," Gilan called over, making him start with surprise. "If you sharpen that knife any more you're going to make it cut through your scabbard. Will, caught, blushed. Gilan rolled his eyes. "Come get a fire going." He said. Will replaced his saxe in its scabbard and hurried to obey. Gilan had set them up alongside a small stream, with their horses settled right next to the bank for graze and water. Gilan now moved to Blaze, who was nearest to the bank, to grab his stuff. Will assembled the kindling, and was reaching for a bigger log when he heard a distinctive __**splash**__ coming from somewhere behind him. _

_He looked over his shoulder and saw Gilan grabbing his tent pack from the stream. He looked embarrassed as he picked up the now-soaked pack. Horace looked up from where he still lay on the dirt, eyebrows up in surprise at the clumsiness the ranger had shown. Gilan walked over to where Will had set up the fire and laid the tent pack next to the logs. "Nothing for it but to let it dry by the fire." He grumbled. "Guess that only leaves us with two tent packs for tent packs for tonight." He said loud enough for both Horace and Will to hear them. He continued "You two will just have to share." Horace went red as he scrambled to get up and Will looked at Gilan, appalled at the idea. "_We_ have to share? It was _you_ who dropped _your_ tent pack in the stream!" Gilan gave him a level stare. "Yes, but _I_ am in charge here and _you_ have to do what _I_ say, so _yes_, you two will have to share." Will opened his mouth to argue, but found he had nothing left to say. "Would you rather sleep on the ground?" Gilan asked cheerfully, and then, before either boy could answer _yes, they really would_, he continued, still cheerful "Of course not." Despite the cheerfulness, both boys could tell he wasn't giving them a choice. "Now get that fire going Will. Horace, give me a hand here." _

_The tents were simply not designed to fit two people. Gilan's cheerful "I'll know if you get out, so make sure you don't go anywhere for anything but the necessaries! G'night!" rang in both boys ears as they lay, back to back in the small one man tent. It was uncomfortably hot, and Will couldn't focus on sleeping. The two lay as far apart as they could, but their backs were still pressed against each other. Horace spoke up. "Will he know if we leave the tent?" Will's forlorn "probably' was enough to dispel the plan for Horace. Resigning themselves to an uncomfortable and awkward night, the two boys did their best to sleep. _

_It was warm as Will slowly resurfaced from a poor night of sleep. At first it was nice-the mornings were normally bitterly cold, and he enjoyed the heat-up until he remembered the events of last night. He opened his eyes and discovered that in his sleep, Horace had apparently decided to use him as a pillow. "OW!" Horace cried, startled awake as Will rammed his elbow into his side. "What was THAT for?!" he said, holding his injured side while staring at an apparently furious and red-faced Will. "I am NOT a pillow Horace!" he said angrily. Horace, registering the comment, slowly turned a dark shade of red. "Oh-oh god, I'm so sorry Will!" he said, pleadingly. "I was asleep! I just-" Will held up a hand to stop him as he heard movement from elsewhere in the campsite. Gilan had apparently woken up, and he did not need to hear this. "Also," Will added as a parting shot before he left the tent. "You snore. Loudly." Horace, suitably abashed, exited the tent with Will, to find themselves staring at a grinning, apparently very awake Gilan eating breakfast. "Enjoy your night, lovebirds?"_

Both boys were beet red as Will finished the story. "Did you have to tell her _everything_?" Horace said, embarrassed. "She'd have gotten it all out of Gilan anyway." Will mumbled back. Evanlyn nodded her agreement, and, fighting to keep her voice level. "So...so Gilan just...dropped the tent?" She asked. They both nodded glumly. "Gilan…a ranger, fumbling something like that?" It was getting harder and harder to keep a straight face as they looked up at her, confused. "What do you mean?" Horace asked, nonplussed. She could see the slowly growing horror on Will's face as he realized what she was getting at. "Well..." she said slowly, "It almost sounds like…he did it on purpose." The reactions were identical; both boys gave a reaction mixed of embarrassment and fury as they realized Gilan had played them. Evanlyn couldn't help herself anymore, and she burst out laughing, startling the Skandians nearby and she laughed helplessly at the absolutely mortified expressions on Will and Horace's faces. Will buried his face in his hands while Horace just stared at the ground. The Skandians, while not knowing the story, could gather from the behavior of the boys enough to realize why Evanlyn was laughing so hard. A few of them even chuckled. As Evanlyn regained control of herself, they heard the thundering of hooves as Erak and Halt came back into site, Erak looking much the worse for wear. The laughter died around the camp as the seriousness of their situation was remembered-up until the point where Erak fell of his horse." Evanlyn looked like she was going to cry.

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	5. A Bond More Than A Friendship

**Alright guys I finally am updating! Sorry it took so long. School and all :P. Anyway this chapter will show where the title came from! Enjoy and reviews are always welcome. ae!**

The 5 travelers breathed a sigh of relief when Hallashom came into sight. Erak, still sore from his ride with the horse, was especially grateful at the prospective of sitting down. However, neither Halt nor Horace failed to notice the apprehension and even slight hesitation of the two escaped slaves as they re-entered the town. Horace noticed Will's shudder as they passed an old, poorly kept barn surrounded by who he could only assume was slaves. Will's eyes see glued to the barn, and Horace put a reassuring arm. Will started at the contact and looked over at Horace. He gave him a thankful smile. Erak eyed the two and grunted softly to himself. A few of the kitchen slaves gave Evanlyn wide-eyed looks as they passed through to Ragnak's quarters, only to be informed that only Halt was to be admitted. Erak rolled his and beckoned the three young people to follow him.

Erak's quarters were expansive, if somewhat spartan. He left right after letting them in, so the three found themselves left to their own devices. After looking around (there wasn't much to see) Will and Horace took the couch and Evanlyn perched herself on a chair. "So what now?" Horace asked. "Depends on Ragnak, I suppose." Will said. "First we have to know if he'll pardon me and Evanlyn, then if he'll accept Halt's help against the Temujai." Evanlyn nodded. "If all that works out, then it really depends on what Halt has in mind. I doubt we'll be able to get out of Skandia now, we'll probably have to help fight." Horace opened his mouth to correct her –'you won't be helping- but was interrupted by a sudden groan from Will. The two looked at him, confused. "Halt is gonna kill me…" he moaned. "Why?" Evanlyn asked, genuinely confused. "I haven't had any practice with my bow or knives or anything…and if we're fighting…" Horace grimaced, aware of just how much practicing Will was going to have to do. He clapped a hand on his friends shoulder and said "I'd take this chance to sleep if I were you. I get the feeling you'll need it." Evanlyn felt a little out of the loop, but understood that Will was going to be having a busy time ahead of him. Apparently taking Horace's advice, Will curled up on his side of the couch to sleep. Evanlyn realized that she, too, could use a nap. Sleeping out in a tent wasn't the best way to get rested. She curled up in her chair with the intent of sleeping until a question popped into her head. "Say…" she said, gaining their attention. "How did your twos night go anyway?" Will let out an indistinct noise that resembled an animal in pain.

"Well" Halt said in a slightly surprised tone, "that went better than expected." Erak nodded in agreement. "Ragnak is no fool. Still, I expected something to be broken by this point." He sounded a little disappointed, and Halt arched an eyebrow at him. "So," Erak asked, tactfully ignoring Halt's look, "what are you planning on having the three of them do?" Halt shrugged. "They're going to have to be ready to fight." He said simply. Erak nodded in agreement. "I've seen your apprentice and the girl in action." He mused. "Nearly took my ear off. I'm sure they'll be able to help. What about the other one -Horace- that you came with?" Halt waved a hand at that. "Oh Horace'll be fine. He's already veryaccomplished after our trip through Gallica. Its Evanlyn I'm worried about." He added. "She's plenty brave and smart, but she doesn't have much actual skill in combat. "Erak slowly nodded in agreement. "We'll just have to be careful then." Halt raised his eyebrow again. "We?" he said skeptically. "You're the one who made me swear an oath ranger. While they're here, they're my responsibility too." Halt nodded his understanding.

The two of them stopped in their tracks when they entered Erak's quarters. "What the…" Halt said, clearly annoyed. Erak, on the other hand, chuckled. "You should know, ranger, that it's important to get sleep when you can." Halt eyed the three young people passed out of Erak's furniture and sighed. Erak might be joking, but Halt knew he was right. It was important for them to rest and regain their strength. Tomorrow, the real work would begin.

Will looked at the result of his volley and knew he had been right. He was horribly out of shape. Several shots re inaccurate or had outright missed their targets. He looked uneasily at Halt, who shook his head, indicating that Will had been right. Will's shoulders slumped. Halt walked over and wrapped one arm consolingly around the boy. "It's alright." Halt said. "You can't expect to keep your abilities if you spend the winter making snowmen in the mountains." "Making snowmen!?" Will replied indignantly. "I'll have you know it was very hard-" He stopped as he noticed Halt's raised eyebrow. "Sorry Halt…" He mumbled. Halt chose to ignore the outburst. "Well" he said, removing his arm from Will's shoulder and rubbing his hands together. "I guess you know what you need to do." It wasn't a question, and Will nodded. "Get to work then."

From where they were sitting across the field, Horace watched the exchange. He watched as Halt strode away and Will began to retrieve his arrows. To Evanlyn's surprise, he stood up. "You aren't going to watch?" She asked, surprised. Horace looked over thoughtfully to where Will, having retrieved his arrows, returned the same position to resume shooting. He shook his head, grinning. "Come back in a few days. Then they'll be something to see." Evanlyn looked over at Will as well, and nodded thoughtfully. "Yes… I suppose you're right." She rose, and followed Horace into town.

Will let out a sigh of relief as he released his last shot, knowing it was good. It had taken several days to get himself back into any kind of reasonable shape. The good food and sleep had done wonders for him, as had his near constant practice. He was already almost at the skill level he'd had before being captured. He looked around as he collected the arrows from yet another set he had fired. He hadn't seen much of Horace or Evanlyn since ha had first arrived. He had been grateful at first. As out of practice as he was, he would've been embarrassed if they had been watching. Now though, he felt almost lonely. He shook himself, getting over the ridiculous notion. He had just been used to being around Evanlyn so much it was weird to be on his own. Shaking himself once more, he returned to his spot, the grass now worn down under his feet, and resumed shooting.

Will wasn't as alone as he believed however. Horace leaned against a tree, watching the young ranger shoot. He was mildly surprised Will hadn't seen him yet, but he supposed that his mind was just too focused on the task at hand. Contrary to what he had told Evanlyn, Horace had slipped away several times over the past week to watch Will shoot. The change in Will as he regained his old skill was startling. He heard the crunch of footsteps behind him and looked around surprised. "Erak?" The burly Skandian let out a huff of irritation as he was caught. He really thought he had been getting stealthier. He nodded to the young warrior. "Watching?" he asked, indicating Will as he shot. Horace nodded, thinking the statement was rather obvious. "His shooting has gotten a lot better." He commented. Erak raised an eyebrow. "Just watching his shooting?" Horace looked at him, confused by the question. If it had been Evanlyn he might have suspected a jibe, but this was Erak. "What do you mean?" Erak shrugged in slight annoyance, as he tried to communicate what he meant. "Are you watching him, or his shooting?" he asked. Horace frowned, thoughtfully. "…Both, I guess." Erak nodded. "I guessed as much." Horace gave him a look of genuine consternation. "Erak, what ARE you talking about?" Erak made a shushing gesture as Will once again set out to retrieve his arrows. Horace gave a huff of irritation.

Erak waited for Will to start shooting again before he continued. "I was watching you two on the way back to Hallashom. You're close." It wasn't a question, and Horace agreed. "We weren't, but yes." Erak looked at him. "Were you at the bridge?" The mood turned icy for a moment at Horace paused before answering. "Yes." He replied tersely. Clearly, that was a sore spot. Erak shrugged. Business was business to him, but he understood. "So you traveled with him through Celtica?" Again, Horace nodded, wondering what Erak was getting at. "You two aren't just close." Erak said. "There's a difference between friends among civilians and soldiers." He told him, using Araluen terms. Horace frowned not understanding. Erak continued. "We call it 'A Warriors Bond.'" Erak told him. "It may not sound like much, but it's used to describe those few that are closer than kin." Horace was silent, considering what Erak was said as he watched his friend practice. Suddenly, he straightened up and turned to the Jarl. "Erak, do you know where I could go to train?" Erak was surprised for a moment, but then grinned his understanding. "Go find Svengal. Tell him I sent you." Horace nodded in thanks and turned back to Hallashom. Erak called after him. "He'll be down at the docks." The young man raised a hand to indicate he had heard. Erak turned to look back at the young ranger, who hadn't noticed or heard either of them. He smiled thoughtfully to himself. "If those two survive this," he said softly to himself, "I can't wait to see what they become." And he turned to follow Horace back to the main body of Hallashom.

**Taste the Rainbow. Review the Rainbow.**


End file.
